A SPRING clean operation is to take place in Okehampton this month — one of the first moves organised by a new group aimed at boosting the town's profile.

Destination Okehampton is a small working party being championed by town councillors Michael Ireland, Christine Marsh and Paul Vachon.

Chairman of the group Cllr Ireland said: 'We are the second largest town in the borough but our profile is very low with regard to visitors.

'We don't offer a lot to our residents apart from supermarkets, they often go to Exeter, and we need to offer more.

'It's more or less dead on a Sunday — there's little or no provision for tourists, apart from the station. All you have are the supermarkets, there are barely even any cafés open, there's nothing really to attract tourists.

'That's a sad failing we are trying to address, not just regarding tourism, but the whole marketing and development of the town.

'We need to develop a concept plan and practical actions to bring concept and action together, in a viable marketing plan for the town.'

Cllr Ireland said the 'spring clean' day, to be held on Saturday April 17, would act as an 'audit of the town, to look at its highs and lows' — from this, a document could be drawn up of its blackspots and good features.

'We need to look at a sort of cost-benefit analysis of strengths and weaknesses, and how they can be addressed,' he said.

Cllr Ireland said the group, hopefully with other members of the town council, would do a 'litter-pick' throughout the town between 10am and 12.30pm, to see for themselves the scale of the problem in a material sense.

As a result of the operation, the group hoped to draw up an action plan, in conjunction with the chamber of trade.

'We want to involve the business community because they are the stakeholders,' said Cllr Ireland.

'The council wants to be more involved in promoting the town but we can only do that if we get the support of the business community.'

Destination Okehampton has already floated the idea of a calendar of town events, which would be displayed at the Charter Hall.

This would include such things as the Rotary May Fair, Lions Donkey Derby, Battle of the Bands, Edwardian Evening, OCRA sports week and Ten Tors.

The group has also proposed that old events be re-started, such as an arts festival, Dumpling Day and March Quarter Fair days.

Cllr Vachon said: 'We need to get more people into the town, to increase the footfall, and to get the town used more as a holiday destination.

'We would like to build up the numbers of shoppers and tourists — we have some really great assets, we are the gateway to the wilder areas of the moor and we need to encourage people here.'